


After All This Time

by BeccaAnne814



Series: Bruce Banner x Reader Series [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, a smidgen of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21717709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaAnne814/pseuds/BeccaAnne814
Summary: A chance encounter brings a familiar face back into your life.  Bruce Banner had been one of your closest friends growing up, but time and circumstances have changed you both.  Do the two of you still have enough in common to rebuild the bonds of friendship, or even perhaps rekindle something you’d been too young to recognize all those years ago?
Relationships: Bruce Banner x Reader
Series: Bruce Banner x Reader Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1565308
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	After All This Time

**Bruce Banner x Reader**

**Summary** – A chance encounter brings a familiar face back into your life. Bruce Banner had been one of your closest friends growing up, but time and circumstances have changed you both. Do the two of you still have enough in common to rebuild the bonds of friendship, or even perhaps rekindle something you’d been too young to recognize all those years ago?

**Warnings** – Fluff, a Smidgen of Angst. . .probably a curse word or two

**Word Count** – 5.5K

**Notes:** Parts 1 - 4 of 5

** _**Updated July 16, 2019**_ **

_ ** [Masterlist](https://beccaanne814.tumblr.com/post/174989754188/masterlist) ** _

[[MORE]]

A last minute cancelation had given YN the afternoon off from work, so she'd grabbed her laptop and headed to the small coffee shop a few blocks from her office. It was a blustery day with snow and wind keeping everyone bundled up and heading somewhere warm. The thought of spending an afternoon in the cozy shop with a crackling fire and the fragrant aromas of coffee and pastries was much preferable to the grey walls of her cubicle.

The barista at the counter knew her order by heart, so all YN had to do was pay for the order and then find an empty table while she waited for them to make her coffee. She booted up her laptop and opened up the file she'd been working on at the office. She normally read a book while she languidly sipped her coffee, but since she was still on the clock she thought it was only fair that she actually earn her paycheck this afternoon.

"Here ya go, YN," the barista said as she brought the steaming cup of coffee over to YN's table.

"Thanks, sweetie." YN looked up at the young woman and gave her a smile, but her attention was captured by the man entering the shop. There was something about him that seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Shaking it off as a simple case of déjà vu, she took a sip of her coffee and studied the spreadsheet on the screen before her.

"Um. . .I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be ordering."

YN hated when people eavesdropped in public places, but there was something about the man's voice that had her straining to hear what else he had to say. She heard the rustle of paper and peeked over at the counter. The poor guy seemed completely hopeless as he slipped on a pair of glasses and began to read a list of coffee orders. She could tell he'd never ordered specialty coffees before as he stumbled over some of the words and apologized after every order.

YN could see the barista trying to hold back her laughter, and she knew if it had been her, she'd have never been able to keep a straight face. The poor guy looked completely lost and she felt a moment of sympathy for him.

"What's the name for the order?"

"Banner," he said before exhaling loudly and adjusting his glasses. "No, wait. You guys use first names, right? It's Bruce, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," the barista assured him as she began to write the orders on the paper cups.

YN sat up a little straighter. Bruce Banner? She'd grown up next to a boy with that same name, but it couldn't be the same guy. What were the odds of her running into him here, of all places? She tried not to make it obvious that she was staring, but she just couldn't stop herself from looking for signs of the boy she'd known in the man standing at the counter.

Bruce could feel someone staring at him, but he figured they were probably just laughing at him for not knowing how to order coffee. Embarrassed, he ducked his head and turned to wait at the other end of the counter, but he shot a quick glance toward the back of the shop. He'd made it halfway to the pick-up line when recognition finally hit. Turning back around he gave the woman staring at him a longer look.

"YN?"

"Hello, Bruce," she said as she rose to greet him. 

"How long has it been?" he asked as he gave her an awkward hug.

She laughed as she answered his question. "Oh, let's not tell our age, now." 

He chuckled softly at her joke. "So, do you live around here?"

"Yes. I work down the street at McCune & Associates."

"Lawyer?"

She shook her head. "Accountant."

Bruce lightly tapped his forehead with his knuckles. "Of course. We were in Math Club together in school."

She smiled at the memory before changing the subject. "So what are you doing in Esopus? You don't live here now, do you?"

"Um. . ."

"Bruce Banner?" the barista called out as she placed the coffees in a to-go tray.

Just as he was turning around to get his coffees, YN noticed a sleek black Corvette pull up to the curb. The window rolled down and a striking redhead peered into the coffee shop. All at once the pieces suddenly started to fall into place.

"You work with the Avengers, don't you?"

Bruce looked a little crestfallen. "Something like that."

"Wait a second," she said as her eyes started to grow large. "There's a secret base around here somewhere, isn't there."

"I. . .uh. . .I can't really talk about that," he stammered as he started backing toward the door. "It was good to see you, YN. I've really got to go, but maybe. . ."

His sentence trailed off, but YN wasn't ready to give up just yet. "You know where I work. Drop by sometime and we'll grab lunch. You can catch me up on. . .everything."

He gave her a shy smile and a nod before exiting the shop and getting into the Corvette with the gorgeous woman. YN was almost positive Natasha Romanoff was the woman behind the wheel, so as soon as the car pulled away from the curb, she minimized the spreadsheet on her computer screen and pulled up her internet browser.

Two minutes into her search, she found more information than she'd bargained for. The idea of superheroes had seemed too fanciful for her logical brain, so she'd only given them a cursory glance whenever they'd made the news. Discovering that her old friend was not only an Avenger, but the big green monster they'd dubbed the Hulk completely floored her. No wonder he seemed so reluctant to talk about it. She hadn't been joking when she'd suggested he meet her for lunch, but now she was almost desperate to see him again—they had a lot of catching up to do.

YN had hoped that Bruce would take her up on her offer of lunch the day after they’d run into one another at the coffee shop, but when he hadn’t shown up, she’d assumed he’d been too busy saving the world. But she still had hope.

Day after day she’d waited and wondered, but with each day that passed it seemed more and more unlikely that he’d ever show up. After a week of waiting, she’d decided to take matters into her own hands. Arranging her schedule so that she’d have an afternoon free, she’d grabbed her laptop and headed back to the coffee shop. If he wouldn’t come to her, then maybe it was time for her to go to him.

Feeling like a fool, she sat in the same seat, on the same day of the week, and at the same time as their first chance encounter. She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed like recreating the event would somehow magically make Bruce appear at the door.

But he hadn’t.

She wasn’t sure why she was so determined to meet with him again. It was true that she’d had a crush on him when they’d been kids, but she was a grown woman—and grown women didn’t have crushes on men they barely knew. Well, she thought, she didn’t have crushes, but the other women in her office surely did. They all fawned over Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, but YN wasn’t interested in Bruce because he was superhero. In fact, she almost hoped she never had to encounter the Hulk at all since he seemed a little scary and not at all like the softly spoken doctor that had inadvertently created him.

Undeterred by failure, YN continued to go back to the coffee shop at the same appointed time week after week. It had become the office joke, but no one even bothered to ask why she’d made the weekly trip down the block a months-long habit. For her own sanity, the less they knew the better.

Eventually, she began to doubt herself. She’d pinned so much hope on Bruce, but maybe she was just fooling herself. The thought of reconnecting with someone she’d shared so many interests with once upon a time had been so appealing that she’d built the entire relationship up in her mind. But perhaps it was just a childish fantasy. Bruce was an extremely busy man with a host of responsibilities that she couldn’t possibly understand, so it stood to reason that he wouldn’t be interested in someone as simple as her. 

As she walked to the coffee shop for what she promised herself would be the last time, she couldn’t help but compare the weather to that first day. Then it had been pouring down the snow, but now the sun shone bright against her face and everything was green again.

Green.

She let out a frustrated sigh as she contemplated the color. Since she’d learned of his alternate personality, she’d found herself incapable of tuning out news of the Avengers. Every time she saw the Hulk, she briefly wondered where Bruce was. Did his personality get pushed to the side to allow the Hulk’s persona to manifest, or was the shy and awkward man still calling the shots?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she pushed open the door and called out a greeting to the baristas she’d gotten to know extremely well over the past few months. They had her order waiting, so she thanked them and took it to her usual seat. More than once, she’d thought about asking them if Bruce had returned, but it had felt too invasive and she hadn’t wanted to get any of them in trouble for revealing information about other customers that she knew they probably shouldn’t divulge.

Pulling up her spreadsheet, she quickly became engrossed with the figures arranged in their neat and orderly columns, so she didn’t register the sound of the chime above the door signaling that someone else had entered the shop.

“Is this seat taken?”

Her head shot up as she recognized the voice. She knew her eyes were wide with shock and that her mouth was most likely gaped open in surprise, but she didn’t care. After all this time, he’d finally shown up.

She motioned toward the chair opposite hers and felt the smile spread across her face. “I’m so glad to see you.”

He took his seat and grimaced as he began nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been trying to talk myself out of coming…”

Her heart broke a little, but she tried not to let it show. Instead, she remained silent and waited to see what he wanted to say.

“My life is a mess,” he continued apologetically as he shook his head. “I kept telling myself that I was doing you a favor by avoiding you.”

She waited a few beats, but when it seemed as though he wasn’t going to elaborate, she was forced to comment. “So, what changed your mind?”

“Tony threatened to lock me out of the lab if I didn’t come.”

Tony Stark knew about her? Did the other Avengers know of her existence and her connection to Bruce? 

Her mind was reeling from this new information, but she forced herself to stay calm. “Is that why you’re here now? Did he actually lock you out?”

“No, no,” he quickly assured her. “He was just being Tony. I don’t want you to think that I’m only here because someone forced me…”

“I don’t think that, Bruce,” she interrupted with a warm smile as she reached across the table and took his hand. “We had some good times back in school.”

“I was a nerd.”

“I’m still a nerd,” she replied with a laugh as she drew her hand back and shrugged. “Accountant, remember?”

The first genuine smile she’d seen that day appeared on his face. “You’re right, but if I’m remembering correctly, you were always right.”

She rolled her eyes and waved away his compliment. “See, I remember it differently—you were the one who was at the top of our class. And it seems like you’ve done well for yourself.”

His smile faded. “Yeah, about that." He paused as the grimace appeared on his face again. "How much do you know about me these days.”

“Enough to know what you do for a living, but it didn’t stop me from coming by here every week hoping you’d show up.”

“I don’t know what—if anything—I have to offer anymore." He let out a deep sigh. "Like I said, my life is a mess.”

“That’s okay,” she assured him. “I’m not asking for the moon. I’d just like a chance for us to get to know one another again." She gave him a shy smile. "I miss my friend.”

“I didn’t realize how much I missed you until I saw you that night.”

Her heart warmed at his admission. “How about this? We just take things one step at a time. There’s no need to rush.”

He nodded his head as a look of relief washed over his face. “You’re right…again. There’s no need to rush.”

When they’d been kids, YN had looked at Bruce like he’d hung the moon. Most of the other kids in their school thought she was a nerd and would tease her relentlessly, but not Bruce. Bruce’s intelligence was far superior to hers, but he recognized a kindred spirit amongst the bullies that surrounded them on a daily basis and had instantly gravitated to her.

They’d been too young for their feelings for one another to be anything more than shy admiration, but now that they’d grown up, it was different. YN still thought of the skinny kid in glasses when she looked at Bruce, but she was also aware of the fact that he’d grown into quite the handsome man. He was still awkward and shy at times, but she found it endearing more than anything else.

Since their reunion in the coffee shop, they’d been on a few dates, but like they’d agreed—they were taking the relationship a bit slow. There were decades of experiences that needed to be shared, and major life changes that couldn’t be ignored. She knew Bruce was wary of his rage-filled alter-ego, but her curiosity about the Hulk was purely scientific. YN had no desire to ever come face to face with the angry green giant, but the story behind his creation was fascinating.

“He’s an asshole,” Bruce said as he rolled his eyes.

YN tried to hold back her laughter as she toyed with the cup of coffee she’d ordered with dessert. “Really? How so?”

He let out a sigh and shook his head. “He’s gotten a bit of an attitude since we came back from Sakaar.”

“You don’t talk about your time there much.” She didn’t want to push, but she was interested to learn what his life had been like for the two years he’d gone missing on an alien planet.

“He was this huge star with hundreds of fans,” Bruce explained. “The Grandmaster—the guy who ran the planet—captured different beings from around the universe and made them compete in gladiator-style fighting matches.” His face scrunched up in disgust. “It was just so brutal.”

“And you were… What? Locked away inside your own consciousness?”

Bruce nodded. “Yeah. By the time Thor found me, two years had gone by, and I had no memory of it." His expression grew sour. "Then we get back to Earth, and we’re fighting Thanos, and the big green idiot refuses to come out and help.”

“Maybe he was tired of fighting,” YN suggested with a shrug.

“Oh, no,” Bruce said with a tight-lipped smile. “He’d gotten his ass beat by Thanos in space, and he didn’t like losing.”

“It sounds like the two of you have a very complicated relationship.”

“We’re working on it." Bruce gave her a shy smile and then changed the subject. "So, what about you? Any interesting alter-egos I need to know about?”

She spread her arms and gave him a smile. “Nope. What you see is what you get. I’m still a huge nerd, if that helps.”

“I have seven PhDs—not that they did me any good fighting aliens—so I understand being a nerd.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself, Bruce. You’re more than just muscle when the battle gets too tough. I’ve read some of the things Tony Stark has said about you in the press. He seems to think your brains are pretty valuable, and he’d know.”

“Tony,” Bruce muttered with a shake of his head as the waiter came by with their check. “He’s always getting us into trouble with his crazy ideas…”

“But you love it, don’t you?” she asked. “Admit it.”

Bruce dropped his head and smiled. “We’ve had some good times…when we’re not causing the end of the world.”

“I’d love to meet him someday,” she said hopefully. She held her breath as she waited to see what Bruce would say about her suggestion. It might have been a bit too much, too soon, but she was curious to see where he worked, and meet the people who’d become like family to him.

Bruce thought about her words for a moment. “Maybe you should meet him—all of them, honestly. They’re good people—not like the popular kids from school. You’d like them.”

“I hate to tell you this, but you’re one of those popular kids now.”

His brow furrowed as he handed the waiter the bill folio with a few twenties inside. “Keep the change,” he told the waiter before turning back to YN. “I’m not popular.”

She laughed. “You’re a superhero, Bruce.”

“The Hulk is the superhero,” he argued with a shake of his head. “I’m just the guy they all have to put up with.”

“I think you’re wrong. And I have a feeling your friends would be offended to know you thought of them like that.”

Bruce thought back to his time on Sakaar with Thor and Valkyrie, and all of the hours he’d spent in the lab with Tony. Then there was Nat and Steve. Maybe YN was right. Maybe he was more than just the brawn of the group that smashed the obstacles in their way.

“You should definitely meet them,” he announced after a beat. “Why don’t we plan something for this weekend. It’s supposed to be nice, and Tony’s always looking for an excuse to throw a party.”

She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. “I’d love that." She paused for a moment as she remembered some of the pictures from Tony’s other parties. "It’s going to be small, right? Just us and your friends?”

Bruce rose and walked around the table to pull out her chair. He definitely understood her concerns. He wasn’t a fan of Tony’s parties, but he enjoyed the times when it was just a few of them. Their group had grown considerably over the years, but each new person that joined their family was a treasured addition, and Bruce couldn’t imagine what the Compound would be like without them.

“I’ll tell Tony to keep the guest list to close friends and family, only. How’s that sound?”

“It sounds wonderful.”

He smiled and reached for her hand. When she slipped hers into his, he began leading them out of the restaurant. Since YN lived close by, she’d opted to walk, but he wasn’t ready to say goodnight just yet. “Can I walk you home?”

“I’d like that,” she said as a shy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Bruce kept ahold of her hand as they strolled along the sidewalk and enjoyed the warm summer’s night. He’d underestimated how close her apartment was, so when she announced she was home, he was disappointed that time had gone by so quickly.

“I had a lovely time tonight,” she told him as she turned to look at him.

“Me too,” he answered automatically as he tried to think of something else to say or do. He saw the way she was looking at him, but he wasn’t sure they were at the point where a goodnight kiss was acceptable.

The internal debate going on within him was painfully obvious, so YN decided that if their relationship was ever going to progress, it would be up to her to make it happen. Leaning in, she brushed her lips against his and felt his shocked reaction. She almost pulled back, but his hand came to rest on her check and he began kissing her back.

When they finally did pull apart to look at one another, she was pleasantly surprised to see the goofy smile on his face. It had been years since she’d seen him that happy, and it overjoyed her to know that she’d been the one to elicit that particular emotion from him.

“I’ll call you and let you know when I’ll pick you up this weekend.”

She wasn’t surprised that he didn’t want to acknowledge the kiss they’d just shared, but she knew it was just his way, so she wasn’t concerned. She bid him a goodnight and began walking into her building. When she got into her apartment and peeked out the window, she wasn’t the least bit shocked to see him still standing on the sidewalk pacing back and forth as he talked to himself. Some things never changed, and she hoped they never would.

“This is going to be small, right?” Bruce asked Tony as he crossed his arms over his chest and shifted from one foot to the other.

Tony frowned. “You said small, so I did small. Have you no faith in me?”

Bruce’s face morphed from nervous to utter disbelief in an instant. “This is you we’re talking about. For all I know, your idea of small is a hundred people.”

Tony pointed a screwdriver at him. “That’s small for me." He shrugged and glanced around the empty lab. "This is your idea of small. I split the difference.”

“What does that mean?" The edge of hysteria was back in his voice again, but he couldn’t help it.

"Buddy,” Tony said as he laid down the screwdriver and placed both hands on Bruce’s shoulders. “It’s just going to be us—a dozen people, tops.”

“You swear?”

Tony made an X over his heart. “Swear to God.”

“You don’t believe in God.”

“Semantics,” Tony said with a wave of his hand. He picked up the screwdriver again and pointed at the door. “Now go get your girl. Rogers is already outside firing up the grill and I need to finish this before the he starts burning a thousand dollars worth of steaks.”

Bruce reluctantly conceded and headed toward the elevator that would take him to the garage. He knew he was probably worried for no reason, but when it came to Tony, anything was possible.

The drive into town was quick, and YN was already walking down the stairs of her building when he pulled up. He’d stopped and picked up a bouquet of flowers, and the way her face lit up when she saw them confirmed in his mind that he’d made the right call.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked once he’d helped her into the car and walked around to the driver’s seat. “We can skip the party and go out for a nice dinner somewhere, if you’d like.”

She smiled and laid a hand on his arm. “It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“You sound like Tony,” he muttered under his breath before plastering a smile on his face. “Okay, just remember that this was your idea.”

YN had done her research on the Avengers once she’d reconnected with Bruce, but there were a few newer additions that she wanted to ask him about before they got to the Compound by the river. “So, obviously Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Colonel Rhodes will be there. Who else?”

“Clint and his wife Laura are bringing their three kids,” Bruce said. “Wanda and Vision will also be there.”

She nodded as she tried to remember what she’d read about the last two people he’d mentioned. “Wanda Maximoff is the enhanced young woman from Sokovia, and Vision is the Android you and Tony created, right?”

Bruce nodded. “Bucky might be joining us as well. He tends to stick to his room, but Sam and Steve have been trying to get him to socialize more.”

“Bucky Barnes, right?” YN asked as a feeling of dread settled into her gut. “He’s Captain America’s friend that was captured by HYDRA and tortured for all those years.”

“Yeah,” Bruce said with a sigh. “Poor guy has been through so much.”

YN couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be held against her will for over seventy years, so it came as no surprised to her that the POW was still trying to adjust to being free. “You mentioned Sam. Is that Sam Wilson, the former Air Force pilot?”

Bruce laughed. “Something like that.”

“Okay, who am I missing?”

“Thor.”

“Is he going to be there?” YN asked as her eyes grew wide in wonder.

“He might pop in for a bit later this evening. I’m not sure.”

“Wow.”

“Oh, and Pepper will be there, too.”

YN sat back and tried to process it all. She knew that Bruce was a superhero, and she was well aware of the fact that she was going to be meeting them all in a few minutes, but it was still a lot to take in.

When the Compound came into view, YN’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but as she stared at the ultramodern buildings grouped together on the banks of the Hudson, she realized she’d imagined Bruce’s home as more of a billionaire’s retreat rather than a military instillation.

Bruce gave her a quick tour of the hangar before taking her up to the common area where most of his friends had already gathered to help prepare the food for the party. She saw a group of men talking on the deck outside as they stood around a oversized grill with bottles of beer in their hands. The ladies were all lounging on the sofas with glasses of wine as they laughed at something one of them had said.

“Hey, guys,” Bruce said with a tight-lipped smile as he put an arm around his girlfriend. “This is YN." He turned back to the ladies who’d all started to rise from their seats. "This is Nat, Wanda, Laura, Lila, Pepper, and Maria." His brow furrowed. "I didn’t know you were coming, Maria. Glad you could make it.”

Each woman took a turn shaking YN’s hand, and once they’d poured her a glass of wine and shooed Bruce outside with the guys, YN felt completely at ease. She knew she’d only just met these women, but it was as though she’d known them her whole life.

“So, Bruce tells me you two grew up together,” Nat said with a smirk. “What was that like?”

YN took a sip of her wine and smiled. “Imagine the same guy, just skinnier." YN began to chuckle and they all laughed with her as they tried to picture Bruce with knobby knees.

"You’re an accountant, right?” Pepper asked once she’d regained her composure. 

“Yes, I work for one of the local firms in town,” YN answered, thankful to be talking about a subject she was comfortable with. “I’m hoping to make partner in the next few years.”

The small talk continued for a few more minutes and once she’d given them all the CliffsNotes version of her life, each of the women told her some of their favorite stories of Bruce. In the matter of a half hour, she learned more about her boyfriend than he’d shared in the entire month and a half they’d been dating.

Their gossip session was interrupted when the door to the deck opened and the men came back in. Steve was effortlessly carrying a platter of steaks that looked as though it weighed a hundred pounds, and YN briefly wondered how much it must cost to feed a group of genetically-enhanced people.

The ladies deserted her as they went to the kitchen to retrieve the rest of the side dishes that would accompany dinner, so Bruce began introducing her to the rest of his friends.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” Tony said as he lifted her hand to his lips. “For a minute there, I thought you might not be real.”

“Why’s that?” YN asked as she narrowed her eyes. The guys all started laughing and YN saw Bruce’s face start to turn red. Without missing a beat, she looped her arm through Bruce’s and playfully glared at the group of men. “Oh, I see. You’re all jealous.”

“I like her,” Colonel Rhodes announced as he tipped his beer in YN’s direction. “Yeah, she can definitely stay.”

“You’re a little late to the party, Rhodes,” Maria said with a wink in YN’s direction. “We’d already figured that out, but I’m glad you’re finally catching on.”

The snarky banter continued as everyone began making their plates and heading toward the large table in what YN could only assume was the conference room. She’d known her first encounter with Bruce’s friends would be somewhat awkward, but now that she’d gotten a chance to see the people behind the superhero personas, she realized that they were just like anyone else. 

With a smile, she leaned over and whispered in Bruce’s ear. “I like your friends.”

“Good,” he whispered back. “‘Cause I don’t.”

She laughed under her breath and tried concentrating on a story Tony was telling the group. This was not what she’d imagined when Bruce had told her he was taking her to a party, but she wasn’t complaining. A low-key evening with an amazing group of people was exactly the kind of get-together she enjoyed, and she hoped there would be more opportunities for her to get to know Bruce’s friends a little better in the future.

The party had migrated out to the deck once the sun started dipping toward the horizon and the temperatures cooled off. YN could tell Bruce's friends enjoyed recounting their adventures as superheroes, and she loved getting a first-hand account of events she'd only read about in the news. Bruce was pretty tight-lipped about "the other guy," but the way his friends talked about the Hulk made it seem as though they truly valued his contributions to the team.

As the evening started to wind down, Bruce looked over at her. "Would you like to see the lab?"

"I thought you'd never ask." YN had been dying to see where Bruce did the majority of his work, but she hadn't wanted to pry.

He stood and held out a hand to help her to her feet. As they turned to leave, those that still remained outside bid them both goodnight.

"I really like your friends," YN said as they walked through the common room to the elevators. "I don't think I've ever felt so at ease with a group of people so quickly before."

He led her into the elevator and turned back to look at the ones still lounging around outside laughing and talking. "They're good people—I just wish the world could see them the way you do."

She nodded. "It's got to be hard. Always in the spotlight with everyone watching you." She paused and shook her head. "Some people thrive on finding flaws, and they seem to be the most vocal."

"You can say that again," Bruce said with a huff as the elevator opened into the lab he shared with Tony. "Christine Everhart is one of the worst."

"Ugh, don't say that name out loud." Tony peeked out from behind a workbench with a look of disgust on his face. "She's like Beetlejuice—you say her name three times and she shows up to make your life a living hell."

"Didn't you date her once upon a time?" YN teased.

Tony pointed a screwdriver at her. "We had sex. Once. And that was before me and Pep. . ." He twirled the screwdriver around in a circle before finishing, ". . .you know."

YN smiled and began to look around. The technology that Bruce and Tony used was beyond anything she'd ever seen. It was like something out of a science fiction movie, but better. "This is amazing."

Bruce ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "We just fiddle around most of the time."

"Don't let him fool you, sweetheart," Tony said as he rose to walk over to them. "The things I've been able to accomplish since he came on board?" He mimed an explosion with his hands. "Mind-blowing. His level of genius is right up there with mine, but the way in which he uses it completely astounds me."

Bruce looked even more embarrassed. "Don't listen to him."

Tony held up a hand. "Look. Bruce is. . ." Tony struggled to find the right words. "Are you familiar with Randolph Bourne? Progressive writer from the turn of the century after the First World War?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "He once wrote, 'Few people even scratch the surface, much less exhaust the contemplation of their own experience.' That's Bruce Banner."

YN looked over at her boyfriend and she could tell he was embarrassed by the amount of praise Tony was heaping on him. But it was totally in character for Bruce. Even as children, he'd hated to be put in the spotlight. He liked to discover new ideas—not for recognition or acclaim—but simply for the joy of discovery.

"I'm not familiar with Bourne's writings, but I think you have a point."

Tony smiled and turned to go back to his work. "I'm glad you came over tonight. You're welcome anytime. You know that, right?"

"I should probably be getting YN home," Bruce interjected before Tony could say anything else to embarrass him.

"Thank you for inviting me," YN told Tony as Bruce began to usher her out of the lab. "I look forward to coming back sometime soon."

She let Bruce lead her back down to the car and open the door for her. Once he was behind the wheel and heading back to town, she reached over and took his hand. "I really did have a nice time tonight. It was an eye-opening experience."

Bruce looked over at her nervously. "Oh. How so?"

"I was serious when I said the news tries to find flaws, and sometimes it's easy to get swept away in all the negativity," she explained. "But seeing the way your friends respect you—both of you—puts it into a whole new perspective." She gave his hand a squeeze. "It's comforting to know that after all this time, you're still the same boy I knew all those years ago."

Bruce wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve a second chance with the most wonderful woman he'd ever met, but he was glad someone—or something—had seen fit to bring her back into his life.

**~ The End ~**

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading Day 220 of my writing challenge. I hope you enjoyed it! Bruce is one of the most underrated characters, in my opinion. He's got a heart of gold, and he's absolutely brilliant. He's the softest of all the Avengers, but he's the the one that gets the least amount of love. . .so I was glad to get a chance to show him a bit in this challenge. Do you agree that the Randolph Bourne quote fits Bruce the best? Tony has always been Bruce's biggest fan and I love that about him! And now he has the Reader in his corner as well. I think these two will be extremely happy together, don't you? I look forward to your comments, and if you enjoyed this story, please consider reblogging!


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